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Saturday, 14 December 2013

Lebanese Flatbread with Sun-dried Tomato Basil Pesto

The French have their baguette and the Labanese have their man'ooshe - a flatbread that is shaped like a roundpizzaand eaten for breakfast with various toppings.

This flatbread is widely available in every street bakery in Lebanon. It is commonly served with a spread called Za'tar made from a special fruit called Sumac, sesame seeds andsalt and topped with tomatoes , onions and salads of choice wrapped up and enjoyed.The man'ooshe can also be used as a pizza base and topped with your favourite cheese and toppings. Since I won't be able to make authentic Za'tar, I've improvised with a sun-dried tomato basil version which was delicious served freshly baked from the oven.

The bread is crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. It's really easy to make and seriously addictive. It's important to eat it fresh though, as it turned slightly hard when kept overnight.

For the bread, place the flours,
yeast, sugar and salt into a bowl, and stir to combine. Make a well in the
centre then pour in 250ml of tepid water (slightly warm) and stir to form a soft dough. Tip out
on to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1 minute. Place in an oiled
bowl and cover with a cloth, then set aside for 1 hour, or until doubled in
size.

In a blender, blend the basil leaves and sun-dried tomatoes and oil till it forms a paste.

Preheat the oven to 250C/480F/Gas8. Divide the dough into 6
rounds and use a rolling pin to roll them out into flatbreads. Dust an oven
tray with flour. Transfer the breads to the tray and spread with topping. Bake
for 5 minutes until light-golden and lightly crisp like a pizza.